Monday, December 31, 2012

This is the last issue of Salish Sea News and Weather— for 2012. This year is a wrap and here’s to looking forward to what the year to come will bring to the shared waters of the Salish Sea. But before we jump, take a look back at some top news items of the past year: 2012 Salish Sea News Highlights

Drums, chanting and roars of applause echoed through Westfield Capital mall Saturday in Olympia during a flash mob to show support for the indigenous tribes of Canada. Hundreds joined in a circle near the food court in solidarity with the Idle No More movement, which began among Canada’s First Nations people in reaction to recent land-use legislation. “What this legislation represents is further stripping of natural resources of indigenous lands in Canada … basically without the consent of the tribes there,” said Erin Genia of Olympia, one of the organizers of Saturday’s demonstration. Chelsea Krotzer reports. Idle No More supporters fill Westfield Capital mall in flash mob

A Shell drill ship stranded by a fierce storm in the Gulf of Alaska was drifting again Sunday after it broke from lines attaching it to two towing vessels. The lines attaching the drill ship Kulluk to the vessels Aiviq and Nanuq broke Sunday afternoon, Shell spokesman Curtis Smith said. The vessels are following the drifting rig, which has no propulsion system of its own, while responders look at ways to reconnect the lines to the Kulluk. Rachel D'Oro reports. Shell drill ship's tow lines snap in fierce Alaska storm

Hood Canal Coordinating Council's functions and management will undergo scrutiny in January, during a special meeting called to head off withdrawal by Mason County — one of the prime members. The coordinating council, which oversees salmon recovery and ecosystem restoration in Hood Canal, was formed more than 30 years ago by Kitsap, Mason and Jefferson counties. Later, the Skokomish and Port Gamble tribes were added. In October, the Mason County commissioners voted to pull out of the coordinating council by the end of January. They cited a variety of concerns, ranging from the autonomy of county government to actions by council staff. Christopher Dunagan reports. Hood Canal council faces scrutiny from Mason County commissioners

The city of Everett's private partner on the stalled Riverfront project might be looking to unload its property to another developer. The news about San Diego-based OliverMcMillan caught council members off guard earlier this month. Council President Ron Gipson, already frustrated by lack of progress, vowed to hold up votes on any related projects until Mayor Ray Stephanson's office provides an update. That included sidelining the approval of a $1 million recreational trail. Noah Haglund reports. Everett riverfront project developer may want out

The National Wildlife Federation and other environmental groups want to see stronger development controls for more Western floodplains. It's increasingly clear that construction in floodplains is not only dangerous for people, it also harms habitat for salmon and other animals protected by the Endangered Species Act, including orca, Mexican spotted owls, jaguar and two species of springsnails. And the anxiety over floodplain construction is likely to rise as climate change raises flood risks. So in courtrooms from Washington state to New Mexico, environmentalists have filed lawsuits challenging the flood insurance offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and related FEMA programs. Lisa Stiffler of Investigate West reports. Fighting development in floodplains

Bainbridge Island Land Trust announced the acquisition this week of 12 undeveloped acres of Agate Passage property. The $1 million purchase will preserve habitat for marine life and could provide a stop for hikers and kayakers, said Land Trust Stewardship Director Brenda Padgham. Tad Sooter reports. Bainbridge Island Land Trust buys property on Agate Passage near bridge

Pierce County and several local groups have been awarded nearly $1.1 million in state grants to improve and protect salmon habitat. The money is part of more than $19 million in grants approved by the Salmon Recovery Funding Board for projects throughout the state to restore salmon population. Steve Maynard reports. Pierce County, groups to get salmon habitat aid

A record 485 raptors, including emaciated snowy owls from the Arctic, have been brought to the two-hectare OWL rehabilitation centre in south Delta so far this year. “We’ve never broken 400 before,” OWL founder Bev Day said in an interview Thursday. “It tells you how bad the birds are doing.” Record number of owls and other raptors needing help in Lower Mainland

Environmental Protection Agency Administration Lisa Jackson says she’s stepping down after nearly four years on the job. Jackson announced her departure in a statement Thursday. She gave no particular reason for leaving but said she was ready for new challenges, time with her family and new opportunities to make a difference. Jackson’s tenure was marked by high-profile brawls with industry and congressional Republicans over such issues a global warming pollution, the Keystone XL oil pipeline and new controls on coal-fired plants. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson Resigns

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

It was nearly a year ago when members of The Trumpeter Swan Society and State Department of Fish & Wildlife captured their first group of trumpeter swans as part of a lead poisoning study. The first one they put neck and leg collars on was dubbed “M-50.” Society member Martha Jordan was there for that action and she was there earlier this year when M-50 was found wandering in an urban grocery store parking lot. M-50 had been shot. The bird had survived while 2,500 others just like her fatally mistook lead shot gun pellets for small rocks they eat to digest food. Jordan rushed the wounded swan to Sarvey Wildlife, where she was treated and rehabilitated. Watch the video. Gary Chittim reports. Wounded trumpeter swan with history takes flight again

The Northwest Clean Air Agency continues to receive complaints about alleged odors coming from the Shell Puget Sound Refinery. Approximately 26 of those complaints were made between Dec. 1 and Dec. 20. There have been approximately 143 complaints of alleged odors from Shell this year, said Katie Skipper, NW Clean Air communications director. Five of those have been verified by NW Clean Air inspectors as originating from Shell’s wastewater treatment system, which processes wastewater before it is discharged into the bay. Those five resulted in violations being issued. Joan Pringle reports. Odors from Shell’s wastewater treatment system remain an issue

On Friday during a break between rain showers, Lisa Randlette stepped out of a small boat and onto an enormous wooden structure floating in Quartermaster Harbor. She and Rolin Christopherson, another DNR official, were at Dockton that day to put a third and final bright-pink notice on an old net pen — a 120-foot-long dock-like structure crisscrossed with walkways. Both Randlette and Christopherson said it is the largest abandoned structure they’ve ever dealt with. Cleaning up the harbor: State works to remove hazardous junk

The last bushtit and swamp sparrow has yet to be tabulated but it appears that Ladner has swooped in and defeated its traditional rival Victoria to claim the annual Christmas Bird Count. Ladner recorded a one-day tally of 144 species — with the prospect of more to come — compared with Victoria’s 139 species. Vancouver has posted 134 bird species on the B.C. Field Ornithologists website, Parksville-Qualicum Beach 112, Nanoose Bay and Pitt Meadows 109 each, Kelowna 108, Comox 105, Penticton 104, and Sunshine Coast 101. Ladner aflutter at beating Victoria in bird count

Chevron Corp., the second-largest U.S. oil company, agreed to buy a 50 per cent stake in the proposed Kitimat liquefied natural gas terminal from Encana Corp. and EOG Resources Inc., joining the competition to ship the fuel from North America to Asian markets. Chevron aims to own half of Kitimat LNG plant

Royal Dutch Shell plans to drill for oil this spring in the arctic Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off the northern coasts of Alaska, but watchdogs and environmentalists are not yet convinced that Shell and federal regulators have taken enough steps to prevent or contain a potential oil spill in the treacherous and icy waters. The watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) says the new regulatory agency that was set up to ensure offshore drilling safety after the Deepwater Horizon disaster "lacks basic assurances" that oil spills and other accidents will be prevented if Shell begins producing oil in arctic waters where sea ice and harsh conditions make drilling and spill containment difficult. PEER filed a lawsuit last week against federal regulators seeking access to information about what is being done to ensure operational safety. Mike Ludwig reports. Watchdogs: US Regulators Are Not Prepared to Prevent Arctic Spill, Sue for Access to Info on Shell Oil Drilling Plan

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Few people are excited to see a big pile of sand, unless it's a big pile of sand at the mouth of the Elwha River. In a yearlong dam removal and restoration project, scientists observing its progress are witnessing the formation of sandbars at the mouth of the river, a sign of the Elwha's slow return to its natural processes and an indicator of sediment flows that haven't been seen in decades. “Everybody has been modeling and mapping and anticipating this event for probably 20 years,” said Anne Shaffer, a marine biologist and coordinator with a group of scientists, called the Elwha Nearshore Consortium, organized to observe the restoration project. Jeremy Schwartz reports. Sediment forming sandbars at Elwha River mouth

Marine scientists say dozens of Japanese coastal species hitched a ride across the Pacific Ocean on a floating dock. The likely piece of tsunami debris washed ashore in Olympic National Park last week. The preliminary list of marine hitchhikers includes 29 species “of Japanese coastal origin.” Several are potentially invasive. National Park Service ecologist Scott Fradkin says he’s concerned about the wilderness environment where the dock landed. Tom Banse reports. Dozens Of Japanese Coastal Species Hitched Ride On Floating Dock

One of the sponsors of a controversial wolf-kill contest in northeast B.C. says that human alteration of the landscape, including seismic lines interlacing the oilpatch, have allowed wolves to flourish to unnatural levels. A statement released by the North Peace Rod and Gun Club says the contest is designed to control wolves to reduce agricultural and wildlife losses and even losses of domestic pets near urban areas. Sponsor of controversial B.C. wolf-kill contest say the predators benefit from human-altered landscape

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is asking ships of 400 gross tons or greater to stay farther away voluntarily from part of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary when traveling along the coast to protect the area from possible oil spills. The “area to be avoided,” known as an ATBA, extends as far as 25 nautical miles (28.7 miles) west of the coast from Tatoosh Island at the north to Pacific Beach State Park to the south. It was developed by NOAA and the Coast Guard when the sanctuary — which includes 2,408 square nautical miles (2,771 square miles) of marine waters off the Olympic Peninsula Pacific Coast — was established in 1994 to reduce the risk of a shipwreck and resulting pollution to the sanctuary. The ATBA has been marked on nautical charts since then, and vessels greater than 1,600 gross tons were asked to avoid the area. Arwyn Rice reports. NOAA warns large ships to avoid sanctuary

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Monday, December 24, 2012

Salish Sea Communications blog: “Dan Inouye visited Iolani School in Honolulu sometime soon after becoming one of Hawaii’s first U.S. Senators in 1963. He exhorted our high school class of boys to become men our families, our state and our nation could be proud of...” Aloha, Senator Dan

Some of B.C.’s quietest and most critical stretches of whale habitat could be transformed for the worse by increased shipping noise associated with Enbridge’s Northern Gateway and other planned projects on the north coast. A study headed by Christine Erbe, director of the Centre for Marine Science and Technology at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, predicts total underwater shipping noise could increase 10-fold in B.C.’s northern fiords if Northern Gateway proceeds. Larry Pynn reports. Gateway tanker noise could drive whales away from B.C.'s north coast

If you like to watch: Local supporters of the Idle No More movement took to the Bay Centre with drums and dance to demonstrate their support for better communication and action between Canada's First Nations and federal government. Idle No More demonstration at the Bay Centre

The population of a reclusive Northwest sea bird has declined by about a third in just 10 years. That’s according to a new federal study of the marbled murrelet. The murrelet is a relative of the puffin that nests in coastal old growth forest. Trained observers on boats off the coast of Oregon, Washington, and California tallied the number of murrelets they saw each summer, for 10 years. Amelia Templeton reports. New Study: Threatened Northwest Seabird Numbers Drop 30 Percent

Federal health regulators say a genetically modified salmon that grows twice as fast as normal is unlikely to harm the environment, clearing the way for the first approval of a scientifically engineered animal for human consumption. The Food and Drug Administration on Friday released its environmental assessment of the AquaAdvantage salmon, a faster-growing fish that has been subject to a contentious, yearslong debate at the agency. Genetically-engineered 'Frankenfish' moves closer to dinner tables

Nearly three years after the explosion at the Tesoro Refinery in Anacortes claimed seven lives, six members of Washington’s congressional delegation today called on federal investigators to complete their investigation. “As the third anniversary of the event is rapidly nearing, we note with growing concern that the one major report still outstanding is the one being conducted by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board. We are also very dismayed by reports that the Board has redirected personnel and resources from this investigation in order to work on other, more recent accidents and incidents.” the letter states. Final Tesoro explosion report demanded by congressional delegation

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Friday, December 21, 2012

Still here to celebrate the Winter Solstice. Light the bonfires. Go, Oak King!

Victoria will see two Idle No More events Friday as part of a day of aboriginal protest. The grassroots movement, which has included a hunger strike by Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence and rallies across the country, is planning a rally in front of the legislature at 1 p.m. and a flash mob at the Bay Centre at noon. At the same time, thousands of First Nations and their supporters are expected to converge on Ottawa for a mass rally calling for social and environmental justice. Judith Lavoie reports. First Nations protest rally planned Friday for Victoria

Washington had the eighth largest population increase among the states in the year between July 2011 and 2012, according to new census data. The state grew at a rate of 1.1 percent, adding nearly 74,000 new residents during that 12-month period — with more than a third of them relocating here from overseas. Lornet Turnbull reports. State has 8th largest population gain in U.S., a third from overseas

The damage was done decades ago. Ships needed to reach the Milwaukee Dock off the former town of Creosote, so a channel was dredged through an eelgrass meadow offshore. The dock has long since been demolished but two gouges remain on the seabed below. Work began this week on a project to erase those scars. Contractors will fill one of two depressions at the site with new sediment and replant eelgrass this winter, restoring about 1.4 acres of subtidal meadow at the mouth of Eagle Harbor. Tad Sooter reports. On Bainbridge, cleanup from old creosote plant continues

Local health officials have issued a seven-day shellfish closure for Sinclair and Dyes inlets, as well as Port Washington Narrows. The health advisory follows a discharge of 6,714 gallons of sewage mixed with stormwater as well as a discharge of treated sewage and stormwater into Port Washington Narrows, according to officials with Kitsap Public Health District. Warning issued after sewage discharge

The North Olympic Land Trust and landowner Phil Schenck have finalized an agreement that conserves 75 acres along Jimmycome-lately Creek in Blyn. The land, which includes a 1-mile stretch of the creek that is considered prime salmon habitat, is now permanently protected with a conservation easement that is immediately adjacent to protected state, federal and tribal lands. The easement means the lower 2 miles of the creek have now been conserved by local landowners. Land trust finalizes agreement on 75 acres in Blyn

In Alaska, it’s still child’s play to catch black rockfish, one of the many species of rockfish that inhabit coastal waters. I’ve been on trips in the Gulf of Alaska when four or five of us — everyone on board — caught a 10-fish limit of these eager biters in less than an hour of fishing. Sometimes it took longer to fillet the fish than to catch them. The good times may not be over for Alaska, but we could learn a thing or two from what has happened to rockfish in Washington state, where the good times have been over for decades. Les Palmer writes. Rockfish at risk

Local whale advocacy groups are putting a call out to name the next baby orca born in Washington after one of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Jessica Rekos, 6, reportedly became fascinated with orcas last year after watching the movie “Free Willy” and spent time researching them. The Orca Conservancy, Free Willy-Keiko Foundation and the Pacific Whale Watch Association sent out a press release with an unusual request. Travis Pittman reports. Whale groups want to name orca after Sandy Hook victim

As winter begins, humming bird experts say more of the tiny birds may be sticking around the Northwest instead of migrating south. There are three types of hummingbirds Northwesterners might be seeing more of at feeders or in their yards this time of year: the Rufous, the Anna’s or the Allen’s hummingbirds. These little birds are able to survive the cold by lowering their body temperature, hiding in the lees of tree trunks, shivering to warm up and eating a lot. Laura Erickson with Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology says because of climate change we might be seeing more of these birds. Anna King reports. Seeing More Hummingbirds In Winter Lately?

Thursday, December 20, 2012

This is very cool: “It was three, maybe four o'clock in the morning when he first saw them. Grad student Jeff Bowman was on the deck of a ship; he and a University of Washington biology team were on their way back from the North Pole. It was cold outside, the temperature had just dropped, and as the dawn broke, he could see a few, then more, then even more of these little flowery things, growing on the frozen sea.” Robert Krulwich reports. Suddenly there's a meadow in the ocean with 'flowers' everywhere

Yesterday’s Salish Sea Communications post about Santa writing to President Obama about a national monument for BLM lands in the San Juans brought the following response from the Salish Sea Elf: “Santa, you environmental beard, passing the buck to the President. Whatever, we can use the push from the North Pole too. I love the channeling through Mike at the Salish Sea Comm. What a thought, signals from Patos. Let’s ask for another gift: that the oil and coal tankers and cargo stay away from your Patos signpost. Who do we pass that buck to? Maybe all the people of the Salish Sea sliced in two by a flimsy boundary! There is work to be done by PFPS or ? I may be crazy, call me maybe.”

The Nature Conservancy of Washington has just completed a tidal marsh restoration that reconnects 4,000 acres of tidelands at the northern end of Port Susan Bay in Snohomish County to Puget Sound. The project included taking out 1.3 miles of a sea dike built in the 1950s to create more farmland. The conservancy built almost a mile of new dike roughly following the original shore to protect farmland. But restoring the reach of salt water to the land will revive a tidal estuary environment that once supported shorebirds, salmon and other species. Two projects comprising the restoration cost more than $4 million, funded by a suite of partners, including many state and federal agencies and the Tulalip Tribes. Lynda Mapes reports. Now open: Port Susan Bay

A notorious salmon-farming critic who recently won a defamation case in B.C. Supreme Court has been rebuked financially for his conduct during the same trial. Don Staniford was taken to court earlier this year by the salmon farming firm Mainstream Canada over a 2011 campaign that included images of cigarette packages with statements that read "Salmon Farming Kills Like Smoking." In September, Justice Elaine Adair ruled in favour of Staniford's defence of fair comment, saying that while his statements were defamatory and he was motivated by malice, the activist honestly believed in what he was saying. Victorious salmon-farming critic censured by judge will get no legal-fee reprieve

The Marine Science and Technology (MaST) Center, the marine laboratory for Highline Community College, located four miles south of campus at Redondo Beach, experienced exterior damage during the Sunday night, Monday morning Puget Sound storm (Dec. 16 & 17). Also, power went out which could have been life-threateneing to the marine creatures in the aquarium depending on oxygen from pumps. A tidal surge of one and a half feet prompted by high winds combined with a high tide of 13 feet-plus at 8:17 a.m. Monday gave a one-two punch to the Center, to Salty's next door, and flooded the street there. Steve Shay reports. Marine Science and Technology Center in Redondo Beach, sea creatures, survive storm; Staff thanks volunteers

King County and the Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust teamed up to put another 10 acres of property along Judd Creek into protected ownership, representatives from both entities said last week. The purchase includes 400 feet of Judd Creek, Vashon’s largest stream and a source of habitat for spawning salmon. The property is also adjacent to other acreage the two entities recently protected and kitty-corner to more than 40 acres of protected land in Paradise Valley. Leslie Brown reports.Judd Creek parcel secures protection

Greater Victoria’s sewage committee has approved a $711,000 consulting contract with Partnerships B.C., despite some politicians warning that the government-owned agency is biased toward public-private partnerships. A majority on the committee voted Wednesday to award the contract despite objections from the mayors of Esquimalt, View Royal and Colwood, as well a councillor from each of Saanich and Victoria. CRD sewage committee OKs consulting contract

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

If you like to watch: Laura James reports, “We have big schools of baitfish all winter in Puget Sound, and it is often very hard to capture the ‘feeling’ of diving with them on film, because they are extremely skittish. This dive was done with a rebreather (so no bubbles), which allowed me to be much less ‘scary’ to the fishes.” Afternoon wildlife break: Baitfish swirling off Seacrest

The Washington Department of Ecology has formally adopted changes to two state rules protecting against the impacts of a potential major spill. The spill contingency plan rule sets requirements for oil spill readiness planning for oil tankers and tank vessels, commercial cargo and fish-processing vessels, passenger ships, refineries, liquid fuel pipelines and large oil-handling facilities operating in Washington. Ecology adopts new rules enhancing protection from major oil spills

Pressure continues to mount on Port Metro Vancouver's plans to expand the region's capacity to ship coal with health care professionals joining an opposition movement spearheaded by climate activists. The B.C. Lung Association, the Public Health Association of B.C. and the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment have delivered a letter to the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority outlining their objections to coal port expansion, citing increased risk of cardiovascular disease associated with diesel fumes and coal dust generated by coal transport through local communities. Opposition to Port Metro Vancouver's coal shipping expansion grows

From federal gas mileage standards to Department of Energy Retrofit Ramp Up grants, the US is seeing a renaissance in energy efficiency. A 20 million grant to the City of Seattle is delivering energy solutions to residential and business communities, one of many programs in the region, leveraging rebates, incentives and funding programs. Whether 20 million is enough to wean the city off of fossil fuels is another story. Martha Baskin reports. Home for the Holidays with Energy Efficiency 365 Days a Year

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Salish Sea Communications blog: “The Puget Sound McClatchy papers now will charge for online content you once got for free— without much difference in added value from their print publication. Somewhat like once being able to use a public toilet for free and now having to pay a quarter to use the same toilet.” Pay-To-Read —What?

Oil and gas development is to be banned from a 400,000-hectare area in northwestern British Columbia known as the Sacred Headwaters, The Globe and Mail has learned. In an announcement, expected Tuesday, the B.C. government will confirm that Shell Canada Ltd. is immediately abandoning plans for drilling in the area where the headwaters of the Skeena, Nass and Stikine rivers are located. Mark Hume reports. Sacred Headwaters to remain protected from drilling in northwestern B.C.

Politicians on Greater Victoria’s sewage committee will hastily reconvene Wednesday to try to make up lost time on a project that’s already drifting at least two months behind schedule. The first item on the agenda will be a $711,300 “procurement adviser” contract with Partnerships B.C. to help prepare bid documents and contracts for companies that want to build parts of the $783-million sewage treatment system. Rob Shaw reports. Sewage committee plays catch-up

DNR and the Salmon Recovery Funding Board announced that San Juan County has been awarded a $300,000 matching grant for four salmon recovery projects planned and managed by the County Community Development and Planning Department, local "lead entity" for salmon recovery. San Juans awarded $300K for salmon recovery

Suquamish Tribe Chairman Leonard Forsman forwarded to the Herald a copy of President Obama’s statement on the death of Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, noting “Sen. Inouye was a big advocate for tribal governments.” Inouye — World War II hero, Medal of Honor recipient, first Japanese-American member of Congress, senator since January 1963 and, as Senate president pro tem third in the line of presidential succession — died Monday of respiratory complications. He was 88. Forsman: Inouye was 'a big advocate for tribal governments'

Now, your thank-goodness-for-tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST TUE DEC 18 2012 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON TODAY SW WIND 10 TO 15 KT RISING TO 15 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 11 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN OR SNOW SHOWERS. TONIGHT S WIND 15 TO 20 KT RISING TO 25 TO 35 KT. COMBINED SEAS 9 TO 12 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 14 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN OR
SNOW SHOWERS IN THE EVENING...THEN SHOWERS.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "The rain is pounding down as I write, and the shortest day of the year is coming this Friday – not to mention, the end of the world, if you’re a believer in the purported ancient Mayan prediction. (I’m not!) So I figure we can all use a bit of extra light to help lift our spirits through these dark days..." Through a Glass Brightly

Salish Sea Communications blog: "I don’t know how many of you said a prayer when you heard the horrific news last Friday from Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown or said a prayer on Sunday if you went to church. I felt a huge tear in the moral fiber of our society on Friday and had to stop watching, reading and listening to the news..." God and Guns

The National Weather Service has issued a coastal flood watch for Western Washington on Monday. A strong, low-pressure system is expected to move through the area Monday, which could produce tidal overflow and possible flooding near beaches. The high tide is expected to be around 8 or 9 a.m., with the weather accounting for a possible 1-or 2-foot increase in the tide level, said Jay Albrecht, meteorologist with the weather service. The weather service specifically names the Seattle/Bremerton area and Hood Canal, along with counties from the northern border of the state to Tacoma. Monday morning tides could exceed normal highs Also: The Corporation of Delta issued a flood warning for early Monday morning at Tsawwassen Beach and Westham Island. Waterfront areas along the Tsawwassen First Nation may also have been at risk. Delta prepared for floods from high tides, winds this morning

The Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday that it will set new limits for the airborne microscopic particles known as soot, one of the most deadly forms of air pollution. The widely watched decision, which was expected to signal how the Obama administration will approach environmental issues in its second term, should curtail the amount of soot released from diesel exhaust, coal-fired power plants, refineries and other emitters by requiring costly pollution controls. The minute particles of soot – smaller than the diameter of a strand of human hair – are considered particularly dangerous for children because they lodge deep in their lungs. Erika Bolstad reports. New soot rules should reduce disease, health costs, EPA says

The city of Mount Vernon has officially weighed in on the scoping process for the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal in Whatcom County. In a letter dated Dec. 12, Mayor Jill Boudreau and all seven city council members asked lead agencies working on the EIS to examine six key impacts to Mount Vernon. It also requested that Skagit County residents not be forced to bear the cost of addressing those impacts — handling increased wear and tear at rail crossings, for example. Gina Cole reports. Mount Vernon weighs in on coal terminal scoping

Spectators will not be allowed to attend Victoria hearings into the Enbridge Northern Gateway project in January, to avoid the risk of demonstrations. Instead, people interested in watching the proceedings will be sent about three kilometres away to the Ramada Hotel on Gorge Road, where they can watch a live video feed. The hearings are being held at the Delta Ocean Pointe. Judith Lavoie reports. Spectators to be barred from Enbridge hearings in Victoria

British Columbia could emerge as the world's second largest exporter of liquid natural gas if all its proposed LNG projects are developed, a Conference Board of Canada report suggests. In the short term, Canadian gas production is expected to decline due to low market prices and a glut of cheap United States gas. This is deterring drilling activity all over North America- which is bad news for B.C.'s treasury because it means less royalty revenue to be collected by the province. B.C. poised for global prominence as liquid natural gas exporter

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control is warning people not to eat clams, salmon and other seafood sold by a private distributor in Port Hardy because of the risk of shellfish poisoning and botulism. Health officials say the clams and other products were sold online through a Buy and Sell ad, but may have also been sold through means. Clams, salmon bought online could kill

King County will fund three water-quality improvement projects, complete stormwater monitoring and pay a state penalty under an agreed order with the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology). Ecology and the county have finalized the agreement to correct the county’s violation earlier this year of its municipal stormwater permit, issued by Ecology. The permit requires King County – and other local governments – to maintain a program to control pollution carried into streams, lakes and marine waters by stormwater runoff. This program includes stormwater monitoring. Ecology agreement resolves King County stormwater permit violationhttp://www.courierherald.com/news/183675771.html

A state-required update to a section of Island County’s critical areas ordinances is seven years past due and a South Whidbey-based environmental watchdog group says that’s too long. Officials with Whidbey Environmental Action Network, or WEAN, have confirmed that they will be filing a failure to act petition this week with the state’s Growth Management Hearings board for the county’s lack of action to update its policies and regulations for fish and wildlife conservation areas. Justin Burnett reports. Environmental group set to file petition against Island County

The future of a big piece of Everett's waterfront rests on the shoulders of the City Council, whose members are weighing crucial decisions in the coming weeks. Should they zone the shoreline near the former Kimberly-Clark mill for water-dependent industries, to take advantage of the property's rare access to deep water and rail lines? Or should they reserve the 90-plus acres for office parks and light manufacturing, which some believe promise more jobs and higher wages? Noah Haglund reports. Everett must soon decide future of Kimberly-Clark site

Clallam County tribes and groups received $1.2 million — and Jefferson groups got $1.2 million — in salmon recovery money from the state Salmon Recovery Funding Board. In total, $19.2 million in grants to 28 counties were announced. Rob Ollikainen reports. Peninsula counties get $2.3 million for salmon recovery

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 235 AM PST MON DEC 17 2012 STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PST TODAY TODAY W WIND 35 TO 45 KT WITH GUSTS NEAR 55 KT...EASING TO 30 TO 35 KT WITH GUSTS NEAR 50 KT. COMBINED SEAS 18 TO 20 FT WITH A
DOMINANT PERIOD OF 13 SECONDS. NUMEROUS SHOWERS IN THE MORNING... THEN SCATTERED SHOWERS AND SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS. TONIGHT W WIND 25 TO 35 KT...EASING TO 15 TO 25 KT. COMBINED SEAS 18 TO 20 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 13 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 17
FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 13 SECONDS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS IN THE EVENING. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

More than 2,300 people packed two rooms at the Washington State Convention Center on Thursday to tell government officials what they thought about plans to export coal from Rocky Mountain states through ports in the Northwest. Supporters indicated study should focus only on that one terminal. "Should the Cherry Point site be scrutinized? Absolutely," said Shahraim Allen, chair of the Washington State Legislative Board of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, who, like many coal-terminal supporters, wore a green shirt. "Should the impact on Puget Sound be studied? Without a doubt. But that is where the studies should stop." But with the vast majority of the crowd and speakers decked out in red anti-coal shirts, discussion often centered on more than just the so-called Gateway Pacific Terminal. It included concerns about the ecological risks of other proposed Northwest coal ports, from the Oregon side of the Columbia River to southwest Washington. Craig Welch and Brian Rosenthal report. Coal-export hearing packed, mostly by opponents And from Floyd McKay: Seattle turns out to oppose proposed coal port And from Ashley Ahearn: Strong Opposition In Seattle For Gateway Pacific

Greater Victoria’s sewage committee shot down the idea of an independent environmental assessment of its sewage treatment project Wednesday, in a vote that once again exposed deep divisions among local communities on the issue. Politicians from Victoria, Saanich and Langford flexed their majority control of the Capital Regional District committee to reject a call from Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen for an environmental review. Rob Shaw reports. Region rejects sewage review

There have been times over the past few days at the review hearings into the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline when the testy exchanges between Enbridge experts and First Nations lawyers have bordered on verbal warfare. And as the project moves further toward an environmental assessment decision, it seems increasingly likely that the debate about the oil pipeline — an oil pipeline, any oil pipeline — will end in a showdown between the federal government and First Nations over aboriginal rights. Dene Moore reports. B.C. pipeline proposal heading toward showdown over First Nations rights See also Mark Hume: B.C. mayors join first nations in opposing Gateway

There's more work to do on Wild Olympics legislation before Derek Kilmer will support it after the new 6th District congressman is sworn in Jan. 3. Both House Bill 5995 and Senate Bill 3329, also known as Wild Olympics legislation, would ban logging on more than 126,000 acres of Olympic National Forest by designating the land as wilderness. It also would designate 19 rivers and seven tributaries as wild and scenic. In an interview this week, Kilmer refused to commit his support for the legislation as it stands. Paul Gottlieb reports. Rep.-elect Kilmer won't support Wild Olympics bill as it is now

The Arctic Challenger left Puget Sound's Bellingham Bay Wednesday night and arrived at a deep-water anchorage near Anacortes, Wash., Thursday morning. The barge is part of Shell Oil’s fleet of vessels aimed at exploring the Arctic Ocean for oil. The Arctic Challenger’s oil-spill containment system failed its first field test off Anacortes in September. Since then, Shell has rebuilt a 20-foot oil-containment dome that was “crushed like a beer can” in the first test. U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement spokesman Nicholas Pardi said Shell has not scheduled an official test of the rebuilt dome. He speculated that Shell may be testing the oil-spill system on its own before showing it to federal regulators. John Ryan reports. Shell Ready To Try Again With Rebuilt Oil-Spill Dome

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

About 700 people gathered Wednesday night to comment on a coal export terminal that could be built near Bellingham, Wash. The people who oppose the Gateway Pacific coal export terminal greatly outnumbered those who favor the plan. Earlier hearings held in towns closer to the proposed terminal drew a more even mix of supporters and opponents. Bonnie Stewart reports. Coal Export Opponents Dominate Vancouver Hearing And: The fight over coal trains in the Pacific Northwest pulls into Seattle on Thursday. Craig Welch reports. Big turnout expected for coal-transport project hearing

It's shaping up to be one of the most controversial proposals in Washington state, pitting some labor unions against environmentalists. The dispute involves a plan to ship U.S. coal to Asian markets from Northwest ports, bringing up to 18 coal trains per day through Seattle and other Puget Sound cities. Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn on Wednesday said he is commissioning a study on the economic impact of the trains. McGinn said he wants to know if more coal trains will block freight traffic to and from the Port of Seattle. "If local manufacturers can't transport their goods, these are impacts we have to look at," McGinn said. Linda Brill reports. McGinn orders economic review of coal train proposal

A new study says the cost of cleaning up a major oil spill on the North Coast of B.C. could hit $9.6 billion, wiping out any economic benefits from the Northern Gateway Pipeline project for the region. The UBC study was sponsored by the World Wildlife Federation and conducted by Prof. Rashid Sumaila, the director of the UBC Fisheries Centre and UBC fisheries economist Ngaio Hotte. Sumaila said the figures show how a major tanker spill off the coast of northern British Columbia could offset any potential economic gains from the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline project. West Coast oil tanker spill clean-up could cost $9.6B

A project that replaced a small dam at Lake Terrell and restored a creek channel has allowed salmon to swim into Lake Terrell for the first time in 62 years. The $150,000 effort on the north end of the lake was a partnership of Whatcom Conservation District and Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association. The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife also was involved. Completed at the end of September, the project included replacing a 7-foot-tall concrete dam that was installed in 1950 to enlarge the lake west of Ferndale for recreational purposes. Kie Relyea reports. Work on Lake Terrell opens passage for salmon for first time since 1950

For the second time in as many weeks, Clallam County commissioners have postponed a vote on a memorandum of understanding with the state Department of Ecology over implementation of the Dungeness water rule. Commissioner Mike Doherty initially voted against the memorandum, a four-page document that states that the county and Ecology will work together to establish a rule intended to protect existing water rights and water supplies for people and fish. Doherty repeatedly said he is in favor of having a rule. “It’s the details [that are missing from the rule],” he said. Rob Ollikainen reports. Contentious board holds off on water rule memo

Olympic Property Group has agreed to pay up to $180,000 for a consultant to study environmental impacts related to the redevelopment of Port Gamble. Plans to revive the historic town are expected to be submitted in January, according to Jon Rose of the company. Preliminary plans call for building 176 new homes at historical densities and similar to the renovated houses on the townsite today. A 100-room "lodge" and a restaurant are proposed on the waterfront, along with a dock for tourist boats. Chris Dunagan reports. Consultant hired for Port Gamble study

Thurston County will begin assessing impact fees on new developments, including houses and businesses, in April. The fees will pay for upgrades to roads, schools and parks, said Scott Clark, county planning director. The county commissioners adopted an ordinance Tuesday giving staff the go-ahead for the fees. The fees will replace the State Environmental Policy Act mitigation fees that the county had used. The SEPA fees were subject to deliberation processes, and they could be used to fund only projects in the vicinity of the development or home being built. Impact fee funds can be used countywide. Chelsea Krotzer reports. Thurston County to begin impact fees for new projects in April

The Obama administration wants two neutral, university-based environmental mediators to tackle the 20-year impasse over restoring Columbia and Snake River salmon runs by doing a “situation assessment” and hearing out the river system’s irrigators, grain producers, barge operators, ports, greens, fisheries interests, tribes and other “stakeholders.” It’s a move born out of failure and frustration. Successive administrations have produced five “biological opinions” on how to improve once-mighty, now-imperiled salmon populations in the Columbia River system — particularly salmon runs that spawn far up the Snake River in Idaho. Joel Connelly reports. Feds: New move to break Columbia River salmon impasse

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

No matter how you feel about climate change or construction jobs or any number of issues bound to the five coal export terminals under consideration around the Northwest, chances are you know someone who feels differently about the issue than you do. Exporting coal via the Northwest has become an issue so divisive that old friendships and alliances strain under the pressure. At the public scoping meetings being held around the region as part of the review process for the Gateway Pacific Terminal — proposed for a site near Bellingham, Wash. -– a grand circus is taking place. Where once there were civil conversations and questions posed to regulators about environmental impacts, job creation, and human health risks, now there are stump speeches and inflammatory accusations, painted faces and matching T-shirts, gas masks, signs, and other stage props. Ashley Ahearn reports. Where Coal Divides, Community Remains

First nations leaders are expected to sign a declaration of indigenous law banning pipelines, tankers and oilsands in British Columbia at a Vancouver press conference tomorrow. The Save the Fraser Declaration, signed by 130 first nations will be presented by National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Shawn Atleo on behalf of the Yinka Dene Alliance, several B.C. groups who have banned the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline from their territories. Mayor Gregor Robertson is also expected to attend and read a proclamation from the City of Vancouver. Mike Hager and Dene Moore report. B.C. Native leaders plan declaration banning pipelines, tankers and oilsands

The National Parks Service announced it has selected the Kitsap Peninsula Water Trails as national Trail of The Month for December 2012. The Kitsap Peninsula Water Trails, which includes nearly 370 miles of shoreline and 56 popular stops, is a result of thousands of volunteer hours and collaboration between the North Kitsap Trails Association, Kitsap Peninsula Visitor Convention Bureau, local Port districts, and Kitsap County. Kitsap Peninsula Water Trails named 'Trail of the Month'

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST WED DEC 12 2012 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT TODAY SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 10 FT AT 13 SECONDS. CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE MORNING. TONIGHT SE WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING SW 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 10 FT AT 12 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG.
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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

New blog: "Those planning to give verbal comments at Thursday’s public meeting in Seattle on the coal export facility proposed for the Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve will get to see a whole different way used to allot the opportunities to speak." When You Go To Seattle, Wear Coal Dust In Your Hair

Climate change from coal-burning emissions should be listed as a concern in a city letter to regulatory agencies reviewing the Gateway Pacific Terminal coal export pier, (Bellingham) City Council members said at their Monday, Dec. 10, meeting. Jack Weiss noted that the city has developed its own climate change action plan to decrease the city's greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible. Weiss said it seemed appropriate to mention city concerns about the issue, since any increase in Chinese coal burning caused by Gateway Pacific exports could cancel out the city's efforts. John Stark reports. City Council wants to list climate change as coal port concern

Like many other cities, Seattle, Edmonds and Marysville are alarmed at the prospect of massive coal trains and their effects on communities. Compounding it all, tracks are already reaching capacity or nearing it. Mayors and city officials are scrambling to find ways to deal with an onslaught of new freight-rail traffic in Washington, with new projects seemingly coming online daily. Some of their frustrations are finding voice in public meetings to determine the scope of environmental review of the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point north of Bellingham. Floyd McKay reports. Coal train impacts feared along the Sound

A bulk carrier with a cracked hull provided the backdrop for a rally in Prince Rupert as protesters tried to draw attention to shipping risks associated with the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline project. Gillian Glover, a Transport Canada spokeswoman, said on Monday that the Italian registered bulk carrier Giuseppe Lembo had a 1.5-metre crack in its hull just above the waterline when it reached port on Friday. The shipping accident was the third incident in as many weeks involving deep sea freighters on the West Coast. One ship ran aground outside Prince Rupert harbour in late November, and last week, a freighter sliced through a coal conveyor belt at Westshore Terminals in Metro Vancouver. Mark Hume reports.Anti-Gateway rally shines light on marine mishaps

More than $550,000 has been set aside to purchase and conserve lands within the estuaries of the Big Quilcene, Dosewallips and Duckabush rivers, all in Hood Canal. The Hood Canal grants were endorsed by the state's Salmon Recovery Funding Board, which approved $19.2 million for salmon projects throughout the state. Chris Dunagan reports. Salmon grants will help Hood Canal estuaries

The Woodard Bay Natural Resource Conservation Area is starting to shape up as the place envisioned some 25 years ago. It’s been that long since the Legislature designated the old Weyerhaeuser log dump at the nexus of Woodard and Chapman bays one of the first such conservation areas in the state, a place where people play second fiddle to the needs of fish and wildlife. One of the last major habitat-restoration projects in a series of several at the 800-acre site is well under way. Once the Weyerhaeuser footprint is all but removed, DNR will turn its attention to making the shoreline more accessible to the public. “This is a great place for people to get an emotional connection to Puget Sound,” said Naki Stevens, a DNR policy adviser who specializes in Puget Sound cleanup and protection. John Dodge reports. Agencies make progress on clearing conservation area

The Northwest may have another species listed as endangered. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service yesterday (Monday) proposed listing the Mazama pocket gopher as threatened in the South Puget Sound region of western Washington. This is the third time this fall the government has moved to protect a critter that depends on dwindling Northwest prairies or coastal grasslands. Tom Banse reports. Feds Propose New Endangered Species Listing in Northwest

Minority Republicans and two Democratic allies grabbed the steering wheel of the state Senate on Monday, announcing a power-sharing arrangement that would put members of their new coalition in the top leadership positions. Brad Shannon and Jordan Schrader report. Pair of Dems join Republicans to seize control of state Senate

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST TUE DEC 11 2012 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON TODAY S WIND 20 TO 30 KT...BECOMING W 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 15 SECONDS. RAIN. TONIGHT NW WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 14 SECONDS... BUILDING TO 10 FT AT 14 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE EVENING... THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

About Me

Salish Sea Communications provides communications and public relations services that raise visibility and engage audiences. Drawing on over 30 years experience in private, public and not-for-profit work, Mike Sato brings to you his skills and insights in developing and carrying out your print, electronic and social media projects and products. "I've been in the communications business since 1977 starting with community weekly newspapers then working for Seattle City Light, the Puget Sound Water Quality Authority, Hawaiian Electric Company and, for 20 years, People For Puget Sound." Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told. WA State UBI #601395482